DECORATING/ORGANIZATION

10/2/14

Use What Ya Got

One rule I made for myself when we moved in our new house was to not buy any anything like furniture, artwork, picture frames, etc until we got good and settled and we had exhausted the items we already owned.

I had a hunch as time went on and we got more situated that so many of the things we already had would find their place. It takes time to get to know your house.

I'm still amazed at how this is working out. I just knew that one of the first things I would buy would be a big basket for our shoes and bike helmets. But I waited. Lo and behold, I have a basket like this. Except it is a trunk with a lid and it held blankets and comforters in our old house. And it is bigger than any basket I would have bought for this space.

Turns out, I love how large it is. It holds all my kids' shoes. I love having the shoes in a central location because it makes them so much easier to keep up with and grab when we are on our way out the door.

Moral of the story is: wait, use what you got, move things around.

Baskets like these are expensive, so I'm thrilled that I saved at least $30 to $60 to maybe even a $100 buying a new one.

>>>>

For fun, my preschoolers, ready for the day on October 1, sporting their corduroy. (Basket in the background).

4 comments:

I think I've only commented once or twice before on your blog, but I genuinely love reading your posts! Thank you for sharing! As a military family who moves on a regular basis, this is so important to hear! It's so tempting when you're in a new space to just buy, buy, buy. But you are so right--it takes time to get to know your house! Hope you & your sweet family are enjoying your new house & that it is starting to feel like home!

My entry looks very similar with hooks for school bags (same puppy lunchbox :) and a basket for shoes. This is the first time I've done "shoes in the basket" and it really does make getting out the door easier. And, also like you, I wanted a basket and hunted around the house to find one (we're renting for a year so it seems pointless to buy for this house).

so right! It's the old principle of architecture: limits give interesting solutions. The solutions I can buy are often boring and definitely more expensive than what I have on hand. I love trying to figure out how to solve a problem with what I have on hand. This is most often expressed in my sewing.